A wonderfully varied harvest from the allotment
brought in 7 courgettes, 5 sweet corns, 4 pumpkins and 1 cauliflower – I
stumbled on that by accident as it was well hidden (well, the curd was beneath
the foliage!).
I guess since the last leeks went in and the sprouts
were planted, the rest of summer and early autumn are the good times on the
allotment. Whilst winter maturing vegetables become established and grow, you
gradually harvest the others, either the cut and come again ones like
courgettes or the one time a season ones such as the sweet corn and pumpkins. The
sprouts are now well established and putting on a growth spurt and the leeks
are as good as anybody’s and that encourages me. The best thing is that now is
not the time for weeding. I have membrane down so no weeding is necessary on
the beds, and the long grass around the edges is not troubling anyone so it can
wait until tidy up time a little later. Good times indeed. The wet summer also
meant that watering was not a chore. That being said I did partake in some
watering today for the squashes and courgettes as we have had some great late
summer sunshine and a good dry spell for a while now.
Back home my garden tidy up continued with me
scrubbing the paddling pool clean as well as the tarpaulin that it was sat on.
These were put out way back in late spring, used on one day, and have just sat
around getting dirty ever since. It wasn’t even me who got them out – or used
them!
15th September
In gardening, like comedy, timing is very important
and mine was displayed yesterday in watering some of the allotment exactly 24
hours before the rain came followed by a deluge which went on for some hours.
Ah well.
I was just taking a sheet of cardboard to the
allotment and simply dropping it off when I spotted some calabrese re-sprouting
as side branches from the main stalks. I collected the equivalent of a large
head and we had them for dinner – nice! I also picked the last pumpkin and a
small posy of sweet peas.
Later on at home I was to be found on my hands and
knees by the strawberry bed clearing away straw and dead leaves and stems and
some runners, then uprooting some weeds in front of the privet hedge. I had
cleared away the sweet pea canes yesterday as well as those from all along the
fence panels. The compost bin is beginning to receive its autumn glut of spent
plants.
20th September
The day of the allotment show and competition. Alas, I
forgot all about it until it was too late. I had 2 lots of 3 onions to show
plus I could have dug up some leeks and maybe shown some sweet peas. Great!
24th September
The Indian summer continues with warm dry days that I
would have wished were the make up of our summer holidays. There is a chill in
the mornings with some condensation on the cars and heavy dew on the grass but
otherwise summery. Today was the day I could finally mow the lawn again. Our
new mower is here and I set to work getting the grass cut and the compost bin
almost filled up. Mind you, that will soon rot down.
25th September
I finished pruning the strawberry plants of dying
leaves and runners and found 28 new plants that I have transplanted to a
nursery area at the other end of the border. I have cleared away the straw and
the place looks really tidy. I also gave the lavender plants a trim as they
have finished flowering.
I was able to collect a decent posy of sweet peas from
the allotment. I have been told by one of the allotment committee that I would
have won a prize for my onions had I entered!
Next post: 1st Oct
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